My First Egg YIKKES it's kind of ugly

[chilisweet]

I have a gold sex link that lays an egg just like your "ugly" one. It's kind of interesting, it looks pinkish when dry, but if you wet it, it is brown. Is that the same with yours?

My other gsl lays a nice dark brown colored egg. But both girls laid their first at 21wks. I will have to get a picture of the pinky egg to show you.

~Caran

 

[sewchick]

I have red sex link chickens. Six hens. Is that the same as the gold? That is the first egg and when I washed it it was a nice light brown. Course when it dried it was calamine lotion color.

I looked it over quite a bit and decided it looked pretty good after all. I was just not expecting it. I am a little apprehensive about eating it. I might drain the inside out and keep the shell. I know I am being silly.

Now I have a real problem. I don't have nest boxes. I didn't know any would lay eggs this soon. Thought I had another month. I cannot use the ones there on the outside because they are not finished and dh can't just drop everything and work on it. What would you do? Anyone? Could I use something else. I don't even have anything to line the nest box with. Maybe tomorrow I can pick up a bale of hay if I can find one. Wal-mart might have some. God knows they have everything else under the sun there. Not sure if I can use the pine shavings. I do have a new bag of that. Would that do until next month? The poor thing laid it on the top of the litter. In the corner. Funny thing I didn't find any poo on the egg just blood. Only a little.

 

[chickabator]

my dh built nest boxes and my girls would not lay in them he put in plastic milk crates with straw in them and they lay just fine in them . he screwed them up to the walls in the hen houses they even wait for the others to get out because it is the only nests that they will use.

 

[birdlover]

I used rubber maid totes with a large opening cut in one side. I always used pine shavings. Oh, and I also took the doors off of a couple of pet carriers and used those as well. Actually, they preferred the pet carriers because they were deeper, I think.

 

[redoak]

Congrats on your first egg

 

[sewchick]

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to look in the shed for a cat carrier. I think I have a couple somewhere. I am glad the shavings will be ok. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[marymac]

OOOOOO!! I love the color of that egg. I was hoping one of my EE's would lay that color, but no. I've heard milk crates work good too. congrats!!! Eggs are eggciting!!

 

[AngieChick]

Oh, how pretty! It's a lovely little egg. Don't worry about the bit of blood, when my new egg layers laid their first egg they had the same issue. They were still delicious. Just rinse them off with warm water before cooking.

Congrats!

edited to add that I just collected my 2nd pink egg, your description of chamomile lotion color is perfect! It's laid by one of my EEs. My boys have been bickering over who gets to eat The Pink Egg

I guess brown is just so last season. Your girl is a cutting edge designer egg layer

.

 

[sewchick]

My hen laid another egg this morning. Didn't get one yesterday. I am going to microwave it up and make a sort of egg macmuffin. With cheese and butter. Today's egg looks bigger and the color is a little better. No blood on the outside. I don't have a nest box for her yet. Didn't expect this so soon. I am thrilled she's laying. I am going to get dh to get the cat carrier down tomorrow. I just hope she knows to lay her eggs in it. Sometimes they seem a little dumb. Maybe I will get some wood eggs or something.

 

[AngieChick]

Fake eggs in it will definately help, and something nice and soft like hay. They seem to like to lay in a darker, more private area. She won't instantly think "oh, a nest box!", you will need to make it seem like the best possible place for her to lay an egg. A good indicator for her will be that there are other "eggs" in there already. Remember, in the wild the continuation of their species depends upon the hens finding safe laying areas. For them that is dark, private, and somewhere they could stand sitting on eggs for 21 days without being harassed/eaten by predators.

It's not that they are dumb (okay, so they aren't big on philosophy, either), but they do have their own way of looking at things.

Good luck!